PENFIELD – Parker Dam State Park will be featuring “Green Wednesdays” throughout September.
Individuals can join one of the park’s educators each September Wednesday evening in the Environmental Education Classroom at 6 p.m. to learn methods to use to live more naturally, to keep common toxins out of homes, to save money to and reduce environmental footprint.
The first program to kick off this series will be “Homemade Laundry Detergent” on Sept. 3, followed by “Natural Cleaners,” “Homemade Soap Making” ($3 fee and pre-registration required), and “Forest Farming” each of the successive weeks of the month.
Please see the following program descriptions for further details on each week’s program. Please note that due to the need for extra materials, there is a small fee for all participants of the “Homemade Soap Making” program on Sept. 17.
Sept. 3
Natural Laundry Detergent
6 p.m. – Environmental Education Classroom
Whether you might be looking to reduce spending or reduce your environmental footprint, making homemade, natural laundry soap can be a rewarding activity for the whole family to participate in. Participants will get the opportunity to make a batch of homemade laundry detergent, which they can take home with them to try, alongside a park educator as the benefits of using this type of detergent are discussed.
Sept. 10
Natural Cleaners
6 p.m. – Environmental Education Classroom
Why go natural and avoid commercial cleaners? Well, when you learn of what is contained in many commercial cleaners, you may understand. Participants will learn more about what is toxic and harmful in many store-bought cleaners. Then they will discover how to make their own natural cleaners to use at home. You may even be surprised at how well these cleaners work, and in some cases- work better, for your cleaning needs.
Sept. 17
Homemade Soap Making
6 p.m. – Environmental Education Classroom
Note: A $3 program fee and pre-registration is required for this program.
Natural soap making is a traditional craft using natural products that (once finished) do not harm our health or our environment. Join us as we discuss and demonstrate the process of soap making in the traditional way. Participants will learn how to make their own soap and discover which of the various ingredients may be beneficial to them. Contact the Park Office to get more information or to pre-register by calling 814-765-0630, or emailing: parkerdamee@pa.gov.
Sept. 24
Forest Farming – Mushrooms:
6 p.m. – Environmental Education Classroom
Forest farming is a strategy that can help us to minimally impact our surrounding landscape and existing forests. Participants will learn about common crops and growing methods for this type of sustainable farming. Specifically, one technique participants will learn is how to grow their own mushrooms, as the process of inoculating several logs with Shitake mushroom spawn is demonstrated.